The Battle of the Matsyas and the Trigartas

Verse 1 (4.34.1)

निर्याय नगराच्छूरा व्यूढानीकाः प्रहारिणः । त्रिगर्तानस्पृशन्मात्स्याः सूर्येऽस्तंगमिते सति ॥

niryāya nagarācchūrā vyūḍhānīkāḥ prahāriṇaḥ | trigartānaspṛśanmātsyāḥ sūrye'staṃgamite sati

Marching out of the city in battle array, the brave Matsya warriors, eager to strike, came upon the Trigartas as the sun went down.

Note on the text: Corrected मूर्येऽस्तंगमिते → सूर्येऽस्तंगमिते (misprint in Wikisource; म for स — the critical edition reads sūrye). Speaker heading वैशंपायन normalised to वैशम्पायन.

Verse 2 (4.34.2)

ते त्रिगर्ताश्च मात्स्याश्च व्यूढानीकाः प्रहारिणः । अन्योन्यमभिवर्तन्ते गोषु गृद्धा महाबलाः ॥

te trigartāśca mātsyāśca vyūḍhānīkāḥ prahāriṇaḥ | anyonyamabhivartante goṣu gṛddhā mahābalāḥ

Trigartas and Matsyas alike, arrayed in their ranks and eager to strike, mighty men greedy for the cattle, closed with one another.

Verse 3 (4.34.3)

भीमाश्च मत्तमातङ्गास्तोमराङ्कुशचोदिताः । ग्रामणीयैः समारूढाः कुशलैर्हस्तिसादिभिः ॥

bhīmāśca mattamātaṅgāstomarāṅkuśacoditāḥ | grāmaṇīyaiḥ samārūḍhāḥ kuśalairhastisādibhiḥ

Fearsome rutting elephants, driven on with lances and goads, were ridden by the captains' skilled elephant-men.

Verse 4 (4.34.4)

तेषां समागमो घोरस्तुमुलो रोमहर्षणः । घ्नतां परस्परं राजन्यमराष्ट्रविवर्धनः ॥

teṣāṃ samāgamo ghorastumulo romaharṣaṇaḥ | ghnatāṃ parasparaṃ rājanyamarāṣṭravivardhanaḥ

Their clash was terrible, tumultuous and hair-raising, O king; as they struck one another down, it swelled the realm of Yama.

Note on the text: The first line is 4.31.4a; the second line is not in the critical edition's text (its apparatus has it as 4.31.4b*0570, reading ghoro for राजन्).

Verse 5 (4.34.5)

देवासुरसमो राजन्नासीत्सूर्येऽवलम्बति । पदातिरथनागेन्द्रहयारोहबलौघवान् ॥

devāsurasamo rājannāsītsūrye'valambati | padātirathanāgendrahayārohabalaughavān

As the sun hung low, O king, it was like the battle of the gods and the demons, with its floods of foot soldiers, chariots, lordly elephants and horsemen.

Note on the text: Corrected सूर्येऽबलम्बति → सूर्येऽवलम्बति (misprint in Wikisource; ब for व — the verb is ava-lamb, 'to sink low'; the critical edition reads sūrye vilambati). The first line is 4.31.4c; the second line is not in the critical edition's text (apparatus 4.31.4d*0571, line 1).

Verse 6 (4.34.6)

अन्योन्यमभ्यापततां निघ्नतां चेतरेतरम् । उदतिष्ठद्रजो भौमं न प्राज्ञायत किंचन ॥

anyonyamabhyāpatatāṃ nighnatāṃ cetaretaram | udatiṣṭhadrajo bhaumaṃ na prājñāyata kiṃcana

As they rushed at one another and cut each other down, the dust of the earth rose up and nothing could be made out.

Note on the text: The first line is not in the critical edition's text (apparatus 4.31.4d*0571, line 2); the second line is 4.31.5a.

Verse 7 (4.34.7)

पक्षिणश्चापतन्भूमौ सैन्येन रजसा वृताः । इषुभिर्व्यतिसर्पद्भिरादित्योऽन्तरधीयत ॥

pakṣiṇaścāpatanbhūmau sainyena rajasā vṛtāḥ | iṣubhirvyatisarpadbhirādityo'ntaradhīyata

Birds, smothered in the dust raised by the army, dropped to the ground, and the sun was hidden by the arrows flying back and forth.

Note on the text: The first line is 4.31.5c; the second is 4.31.6a (reading vyatisaṃyadbhiḥ for व्यतिसर्पद्भिः).

Verse 8 (4.34.8)

खद्योतैरिव संयुक्तमन्तरिक्षमजायत ॥

khadyotairiva saṃyuktamantarikṣamajāyata

The sky looked as if it were filled with fireflies.

Note on the text: Wikisource prints this as a single line; nothing is lost — it is 4.31.6c (vyarājata for अजायत), which completes the critical edition's verse begun in the previous one.

Verse 9 (4.34.9)

रुक्मपृष्ठानि चापानि विचेरुर्विद्युतो यथा । नर्दतां लोकवीराणां सव्यं दक्षिणमस्यताम् ॥

rukmapṛṣṭhāni cāpāni vicerurvidyuto yathā | nardatāṃ lokavīrāṇāṃ savyaṃ dakṣiṇamasyatām

Gold-backed bows flashed about like lightning as the world's heroes roared and shot to the left and to the right.

Verse 10 (4.34.10)

रथा रथैः समाजग्मुः पत्तयश्च पदातिभिः । सादिनः सादिभिर्जग्मुर्गजैश्चापि महागजाः ॥

rathā rathaiḥ samājagmuḥ pattayaśca padātibhiḥ | sādinaḥ sādibhirjagmurgajaiścāpi mahāgajāḥ

Chariots met chariots and foot soldiers met foot soldiers; horsemen closed with horsemen, and great elephants with elephants.

Verse 11 (4.34.11)

असिभिः पट्टसैश्चापि शक्तिभिस्तोमरैरपि । संरब्धाः समरे योधा निजघ्नुरितरेतरम् ॥

asibhiḥ paṭṭasaiścāpi śaktibhistomarairapi | saṃrabdhāḥ samare yodhā nijaghnuritaretaram

With swords and pattishas, with darts and lances, the warriors, burning with fury, struck one another down in the fight.

Verse 12 (4.34.12)

निघ्नन्तः समरेऽन्योन्यं हृष्टाः परिघपाणयः । न शेकुरतिसंक्रुद्धाः शूराः कर्तुं पराङ्मुखम् ॥

nighnantaḥ samare'nyonyaṃ hṛṣṭāḥ parighapāṇayaḥ | na śekuratisaṃkruddhāḥ śūrāḥ kartuṃ parāṅmukham

Exultant, iron clubs in hand, striking at one another in battle, the heroes in their towering rage could not put one another to flight.

Note on the text: Corrected पराङ्भुखम् → पराङ्मुखम् (misprint in Wikisource; broken conjunct).

Verse 13 (4.34.13)

रक्ताधरोष्ठं सुनसं क्लृप्तश्मश्रु स्वलंकृतम् । अदृश्यत शिरश्छिन्नं रजोविध्वस्तकुण्डलम् ॥

raktādharoṣṭhaṃ sunasaṃ klṛptaśmaśru svalaṃkṛtam | adṛśyata śiraśchinnaṃ rajovidhvastakuṇḍalam

Here a severed head was seen, red-lipped and fine-nosed, its beard trimmed, richly adorned, its earrings fouled with dust.

Verse 14 (4.34.14)

दृश्यन्ते तत्र गात्राणि वीरैश्छिन्नानि सर्वशः । सालस्कन्धनिकाशानि क्षत्रियाणां महामृधे ॥

dṛśyante tatra gātrāṇi vīraiśchinnāni sarvaśaḥ | sālaskandhanikāśāni kṣatriyāṇāṃ mahāmṛdhe

There in that great battle the limbs of kshatriyas, hewn apart on every side by heroes, could be seen lying like the trunks of sal trees.

Note on the text: Corrected क्षत्रियाणा → क्षत्रियाणां (misprint in Wikisource; dropped anusvara of the genitive plural, as in the critical edition's kṣatriyāṇāṃ).

Verse 15 (4.34.15)

नागभोगनिकाशैश्च बाहुभिश्चन्दनोक्षितैः । आकीर्णा वसुधा तत्र शिरोभिश्च सकुण्डलैः ॥

nāgabhoganikāśaiśca bāhubhiścandanokṣitaiḥ | ākīrṇā vasudhā tatra śirobhiśca sakuṇḍalaiḥ

The ground there was strewn with arms smeared with sandal paste, like the coils of great serpents, and with heads still wearing their earrings.

Verse 16 (4.34.16)

यथा वा वाससी श्लक्ष्णे महारजतरञ्जिते । बिभ्रती युवती श्यामा तद्वद्भाति वसुन्धरा ॥

yathā vā vāsasī ślakṣṇe mahārajatarañjite | bibhratī yuvatī śyāmā tadvadbhāti vasundharā

The earth shone like a dark young woman wearing a pair of fine garments dyed crimson.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as 4.31.13d*0576.

Verse 17 (4.34.17)

उपाशाम्यद्रजो भौमं रुधिरेण प्रवर्षता । कश्मलं प्राविशद्धोरं निर्मर्यादमवर्तत ॥

upāśāmyadrajo bhaumaṃ rudhireṇa pravarṣatā | kaśmalaṃ prāviśaddhoraṃ nirmaryādamavartata

The dust of the earth settled under the rain of blood; a dreadful stupor came over them, and the fighting went on without any bounds.

Verse 18 (4.34.18)

युधिष्ठिरोऽपि धर्मात्मा भ्रातृभिः सहितस्तदा । व्यूहं कृत्वा विराटस्य अन्वयुध्यत पाण्डवः ॥

yudhiṣṭhiro'pi dharmātmā bhrātṛbhiḥ sahitastadā | vyūhaṃ kṛtvā virāṭasya anvayudhyata pāṇḍavaḥ

Then the righteous Yudhishthira too, the Pandava, with his brothers, drew up an array and fought on the side of Virata.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as 4.31.14d*0579, lines 1–2.

Verse 19 (4.34.19)

आत्मानं श्येनवत्कृत्वा तुण्डमासीद्युधिष्ठिरः । पक्षौ यमौ च भवतः पुच्छमासीद्वृकोदरः ॥

ātmānaṃ śyenavatkṛtvā tuṇḍamāsīdyudhiṣṭhiraḥ | pakṣau yamau ca bhavataḥ pucchamāsīdvṛkodaraḥ

He shaped the array like a hawk: Yudhishthira himself was its beak, the twins were its two wings, and Vrikodara was its tail.

Note on the text: Corrected पक्षौं → पक्षौ (misprint in Wikisource; stray anusvara — the apparatus reads pakṣau). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as 4.31.14d*0579, lines 3–4.

Verse 20 (4.34.20)

सहस्रं न्यहनत्तत्र कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः । भीमसेनस्तु संक्रुद्धः सर्वशस्त्रभृतांवरः । द्विसहस्रं रथान्वीरः परलोकं प्रवेशयत् ॥

sahasraṃ nyahanattatra kuntīputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | bhīmasenastu saṃkruddhaḥ sarvaśastrabhṛtāṃvaraḥ | dvisahasraṃ rathānvīraḥ paralokaṃ praveśayat

There Yudhishthira, son of Kunti, slew a thousand; and Bhimasena, best of all who bear arms, in his fury sent two thousand chariots to the other world.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as 4.31.14d*0579, lines 5–7.

Verse 21 (4.34.21)

नकुलस्त्रिशतं जघ्ने सहदेवश्चतुःशतम् । शतानीकः शतं जघ्ने मदिराश्वश्चतुःशतम् ॥

nakulastriśataṃ jaghne sahadevaścatuḥśatam | śatānīkaḥ śataṃ jaghne madirāśvaścatuḥśatam

Nakula killed three hundred and Sahadeva four hundred; Shatanika killed a hundred, and Madirashva four hundred.

Note on the text: The first line is not in the critical edition's text (apparatus 4.31.14d*0579, line 8); the second line corresponds to 4.31.15a, where the critical edition names Vishalaksha (viśālākṣaḥ) in place of Madirashva.

Verse 22 (4.34.22)

प्रहृष्टां महतीं सेनां त्रिगर्तानां महाबलौ । आर्च्छतां बहुसंरब्धौ केशाकेशि रथारथि ॥

prahṛṣṭāṃ mahatīṃ senāṃ trigartānāṃ mahābalau | ārcchatāṃ bahusaṃrabdhau keśākeśi rathārathi

Those two mighty warriors, in great fury, fell upon the vast, exultant army of the Trigartas, fighting hair to hair and chariot to chariot.

Note on the text: A variant of 4.31.15c–e (praviṣṭau mahatīṃ senāṃ … mahārathau / … keśākeśi nakhānakhi).

Verse 23 (4.34.23)

लक्षयित्वा त्रिगर्तानां तौ प्रविष्टौ महाचमूम् । जग्मतुः सूर्यदत्तश्च वललश्चापि पृष्ठतः ॥

lakṣayitvā trigartānāṃ tau praviṣṭau mahācamūm | jagmatuḥ sūryadattaśca valalaścāpi pṛṣṭhataḥ

Seeing that the two had entered the great host of the Trigartas, Suryadatta and Valala followed close behind them.

Note on the text: Wikisource names Valala where the critical edition (4.31.16c) has Madirashva (madirāśvaḥ).

Verse 24 (4.34.24)

शङ्खो विराटपुत्रश्च महेष्वासो महाबलः । विनिघ्नन्समरे शूरान्प्रविवेश महाचमूम् ॥

śaṅkho virāṭaputraśca maheṣvāso mahābalaḥ | vinighnansamare śūrānpraviveśa mahācamūm

Shankha, Virata's son, a mighty archer of great strength, cut down heroes in the fight and entered the great host.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as 4.31.16d*0581 (reading śatrūn for शूरान्).

Verse 25 (4.34.25)

विराटस्तत्र संग्रामे हत्वा पञ्चशतं रथान् । कुञ्जराणां शतं चैव सहस्रं वाजिनां तथा ॥

virāṭastatra saṃgrāme hatvā pañcaśataṃ rathān | kuñjarāṇāṃ śataṃ caiva sahasraṃ vājināṃ tathā

In that battle Virata, having destroyed five hundred chariots, a hundred elephants and a thousand horses,

Note on the text: The first line is 4.31.17a; the second line differs from the critical edition's (hayānāṃ ca śatāny atra hatvā pañca mahārathān).

Verse 26 (4.34.26)

चरन्स विविधान्मार्गान्रथेन रथिनांवरः । त्रिगर्तानां सुशर्माणमार्च्छद्रुक्मरथं रणे ॥

caransa vividhānmārgānrathena rathināṃvaraḥ | trigartānāṃ suśarmāṇamārcchadrukmarathaṃ raṇe

and ranging over many different courses in his chariot, that best of chariot-fighters bore down in battle on Susharma of the Trigartas, whose chariot was of gold.

Verse 27 (4.34.27)

तौ तु प्राहरतां तत्र महेष्वासौ महाबलौ । अन्योन्यमभिनिघ्नन्तौ गोषु गोवृषभाविव ॥

tau tu prāharatāṃ tatra maheṣvāsau mahābalau | anyonyamabhinighnantau goṣu govṛṣabhāviva

Then the two mighty archers, men of great strength, struck at each other there, goring one another like two bulls among the cows.

Verse 28 (4.34.28)

राजसिंहौ सुसंरब्धौ विरेजतुरमर्षणौ । कृतास्त्रौ निशितैर्बाणैरसिशक्तिपरश्वथैः ॥

rājasiṃhau susaṃrabdhau virejaturamarṣaṇau | kṛtāstrau niśitairbāṇairasiśaktiparaśvathaiḥ

Those two lions among kings, furious and unforgiving, masters of weapons, shone with their sharp arrows, swords, spears and axes.

Note on the text: Corrected कृतास्रौ → कृतास्त्रौ (misprint in Wikisource; dropped त्, as the word is spelt in verse 30). The first line is not in the critical edition's text (apparatus 4.31.19d*0584); the second line is a variant of 4.31.21c (asiśaktigadābhṛtau).

Verse 29 (4.34.29)

ततो रथाभ्यां रथिनौ व्यतीयातां समन्ततः । शरान्ससृजतुः शीघ्रं तोयधारा घनाविव ॥

tato rathābhyāṃ rathinau vyatīyātāṃ samantataḥ | śarānsasṛjatuḥ śīghraṃ toyadhārā ghanāviva

Then the two chariot-fighters wheeled past each other on every side in their chariots, swiftly loosing arrows like two clouds pouring streams of rain.

Verse 30 (4.34.30)

अन्योन्यमभिसंरब्धौ दन्ताभ्यामिव कुञ्जरौ । कृतास्त्रौ निशितैर्बाणैर्दारयामासतू रणे ॥

anyonyamabhisaṃrabdhau dantābhyāmiva kuñjarau | kṛtāstrau niśitairbāṇairdārayāmāsatū raṇe

Raging at each other like two elephants fighting with their tusks, those masters of weapons tore at each other in the fight with sharp arrows.

Note on the text: A variant of 4.31.21 (anyonyaṃ cātisaṃrabdhau viceratur amarṣaṇau / kṛtāstrau niśitair bāṇair asiśaktigadābhṛtau): the lines share their openings, but the elephant simile and दारयामासतू रणे are not in the critical edition.

Verse 31 (4.34.31)

मात्स्यो राजा सुशर्माणं विव्याध निशितैः शरैः । पञ्चभिः पञ्चभिर्बाणैर्विव्याध चतुरो हयान् ॥

mātsyo rājā suśarmāṇaṃ vivyādha niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ | pañcabhiḥ pañcabhirbāṇairvivyādha caturo hayān

The Matsya king pierced Susharma with sharp arrows, and struck each of his four horses with five.

Verse 32 (4.34.32)

द्वाभ्यां सूतं च विव्याध केतुं च त्रिभिराशुगैः । तथैव मात्स्यराजं तु सुशर्मा युद्धदुर्मदः । पञ्चाशद्भिः शितैर्बाणैर्विव्याध परमास्त्रवित् ॥

dvābhyāṃ sūtaṃ ca vivyādha ketuṃ ca tribhirāśugaiḥ | tathaiva mātsyarājaṃ tu suśarmā yuddhadurmadaḥ | pañcāśadbhiḥ śitairbāṇairvivyādha paramāstravit

He pierced the charioteer with two swift arrows and the banner with three. In the same way Susharma, fierce in battle and master of the highest weapons, pierced the Matsya king with fifty sharp arrows.

Note on the text: Corrected बाणैविव्याध → बाणैर्विव्याध (misprint in Wikisource; dropped repha). The first line is not in the critical edition's text (apparatus 4.31.22d*0585); the second and third lines are 4.31.23.

Verse 33 (4.34.33)

तयोर्बलानि राजेन्द्र समस्तानि महारणे । नाजानन्त तदाऽन्योन्यं प्रदोषे रजसा वृते ॥

tayorbalāni rājendra samastāni mahāraṇe | nājānanta tadā'nyonyaṃ pradoṣe rajasā vṛte

Then, O king of kings, in that great battle the whole of both their armies could no longer tell one another apart, for evening had fallen and dust covered everything.

Note on the text: A variant of 4.31.24, whose first line reads tataḥ sainyaṃ samāvṛtya matsyarājasuśarmaṇoḥ.